First Night, First Gift
by Handy-for-the-bus
Summary: Bates has something to Anna. Something that it was meant to be hers. Takes place during their first night in the cottage.


**Disclaimer: None of the these characters nor the show are mine. I wouldn't mind but they are not. **

**A/N: This is my first fic ever and English is not my native language, so all I ask is for you not to be too harsh on me. I'll accept any constructive critic.**

If you don't find it too bad I may write more Banna fics.

**I'll be forever thankful to umbrella-ella27. She edited this fic, helped me a lot and gave me great advice. Thank you so much Ella.**

**Also thank you fuzzy-dreams for helping me with the disclaimer and stuff xD**

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Anna lay in bed, reveling in the joyous aftermath, the sheet covering her from the chill of the night. She had a silly smile on her lips, recalling what had just occurred on that same bed. Looking around her, she could still see some of the candles burning. Candles that John had lit, affirming that it would be more romantic. She couldn't agree more.

John came back from the bathroom wearing nothing but his shorts, his hair now free and messed from her hands made Anna smile contentedly as she ran her eyes over his hairy and broad chest down his long and strong legs. The scar, a forever reminder of his days in the trenches, made her love his body even more.

She watched as John stopped at the pile of clothing, looking for something on his jacket. Approaching the bed, John sat down on its side facing Anna.

"What's this?", Anna asked with a shy smile, sitting up and bringing the sheet with her. John handed her a small black velvet box.

"Open it," said John, smiling in anticipation.

Anna opened it and to her surprise, she saw a thin and elegant golden chain; a medallion with a face of a beautiful woman glinted up at her. It was a rich medallion with shiny little stones all around it, and she knew it was old and valuable. Too valuable for a person like her, too valuable for a person like John.

How could he have something so expensive?

"Mr Bates," she began, but she quickly corrected herself with a chaste smile, "John, what's this?"

"It was from my mother. My father gave it to her when they married. It has passed from mother to son since...I don't know, really. Mother always said that this must be at least one hundred years old, so I don't really know..." John answered with a shy and pensive look, "And now it is yours."

"Mine?"

Anna looked at him, confusion written on her face. Of course she was happy but...she wasn't his first wife. Why did he have this when it should have been Vera's? Had he taken it away from her before he returned to Downton? Did she want it after Vera had owned it? Did she want something that might have belonged to that nasty woman?

"Yes, yours. You know...when I was about to marry Ve-", John cringed at the thought of his first wife before continuing, "When I was about to marry for the first time, mother gave it to me and said that this necklace, as a tradition of our family, had to be given to my wife on our...wedding night. But when I held it on my hands I felt like it didn't belong to her. I didn't want it to be hers. I don't really know why I felt that way, but I knew, somehow, that it was not meat to be hers.", John paused at his memories, "After a couple of weeks of being married I gave it to my mother again. I still remember her words: 'John my darling son, you made a terrible mistake. If this necklace is not meant to be Vera's, that means she's not meant to be your wife. She's not the right woman for you, happiness will never be complete'."

John smiled at the thought of his mother's words. "And she was right. Mother was always right," He smiled back at Anna.

Anna was still confused, but comforted by the thought that she meant so much to John.

"The last time I saw mother, before she died, I asked her for the necklace, and she asked me if it was for you; I said yes. Even if we couldn't marry, I wanted to give it to you. Mother smiled at me and said that now I had the right woman and I could be fully happy."

Tears began forming in Anna's eyes, as she listened attentively to every word John spoke.

"I didn't give it to you before because I wanted to wait to tell everyone we were married and I wanted us to have a proper honeymoon, with no hiding and sneaking...and then, I was...arrested. I was going to tell you where it was for you to have a last memory of me, then I was convicted to ...hang and...there were so many things going through my mind; the thought of never seeing you again, the thought of never loving you the way you deserve to be loved, of you being without me, of you being with another man-"

Anna's eyes widened and she shushed him pressing her fingers to his lips. John took her hand gently in his kissing it and rested it on his lap.

He continued, "The thought that I could give it to you personally was another reason to fight. We have been married for almost two years now, but it's as if we married yesterday, because we've only been together properly on our wedding night and tonight. We've only been living together as man and wife for less that one day but...Do you know what?" He asked, with the tenderest smile on his face, the one that was reserved only to Anna.

"What?" She asked, smiling at him and feeling the tears in her eyes begging for being shed.

"Mother was right! I know that I'll be truly happy with you, and I know that my true happiness is with you and no one else. And I promise you Anna, I'll live only to make you happy."

Finally, tears streamed down her face, and her cheeks flushed with heat.

"No more crying, my love," John whispered.

"I'm not crying because I'm sad, John. I'm crying because I'm happy. I'm so terribly happy I could burst. You don't need to promise me anything, you already gave me all I ever needed, all I ever wanted. Your love. Your life. You."

John hugged Anna with every fiber of his being. His embrace was so tender and strong, Anna wondered why he didn't always hold her like this; it felt so good and wonderful. She felt so secure, like no one and nothing could ever tear them apart.

John sank his nose into her hair and inhaled her smell. A smell he knew he could always rely one. So sweet. She smelled of her washing lavender soap and of cinnamon tea. What a wonderful combination of the two aromas. Tonight she also smelled of rain, as result of both of them catching some raindrops while they were cleaning their new little garden on that same afternoon. He smiled against her hair at the thought of it. She wouldn't go inside without finishing it, saying that a few raindrops never killed anyone as he ran outside and watched and admired her from their kitchen window.

How he loved her. She had done so much for him already. It was the memory of her that kept him alive and sane during his time in prison, as well as the hope of spending his life with her, like this. The two of them, their home. Working together, cleaning together, laughing together, perhaps even arguing with each other over silly little things. Even that. It meant he was there with her, living and normal life. Living the life he always dreamed of but never dare to hope for, until he met Anna.

Feeling the urge to kiss her, he bent his face to hers. He had to taste her, so he met her soft lips and kissed them. Strong but sweet. Sure of himself and his love for her. Anna sighed against his lips and he opened them to her. As he did so, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and he let out a groan. She tasted so good. Cinnamon tea and honey, and him. She tasted of them together.

Her tongue meeting his, enthralled him, enslaving him, drove him mad to feel more of her. His left hand moved to the underside of her breast while the right trailing through her hair and caressing her scalp.

Anna nearly melted beneath his touch, feeling him invading all her senses, as if he was everywhere. His smell was intoxicating and strong, so manly but so fresh. She loved the smell of his shaving soap combined with the smell of his body after a long day, and now, after their lovemaking. And the way he tasted. Tea, honey and mint. Could she survive to him? To all the things he did to her? If she couldn't she would never regret it, for it was best to die in the arms of her husband than at old age and alone.

She ran her hands up and down his chest playing with the hair she found there, then she locked her arms around his neck, bringing him even closer to her. Suddenly she pulled away from him. Bewilderment was plain on his face and Anna gave him a reassuring smile.

"So, Mr Bates, won't you put the family necklace on me?"

"Of course, my love." John said smiling openly to her. "But you have to take good care of it, you know. When our first son marries, you have to give it to him."

Anna smiled happily at the thought of having children with John. Now, with their future ahead of them once more, she could dream about their future children again, about all the promises they made, and it felt so wonderful.

"Oh John, we are only starting our lives together, and you are already marrying our unborn son?!"

John laughed loudly and Anna joined him. How they loved the sound of each others laugh.

After a moment, John's laughter subsided. "That's because I can dream again, dream about the future. I couldn't before, I d aren't, but now I can, and it couldn't be better."

"Don't you tell me you already choose the names?"

"I did. I already know the names of our three little girls and two little boys."

"What? Five? Oh my goodness, John. Aren't you forgetting that I am the one who will have them?"

"No my dear, I'm not. Just as I'm not forgetting I'm the one who will help you make them. And I think we could start working on it... Now, maybe?" John spoke, his voice suddenly hoarse.

I have to agree with you on that, my love."

And so the work began.

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**Thanks for reading. Please review. **


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